Ed Sheeran says fame has left him feeling like a 'zoo animal' and struggling with anxiety everyday

Pop megastar Ed Sheeran has revealed his international fame has left him struggling with anxiety and feeling like a ‘zoo animal’.

Sheeran told The Sun he also struggles with fans constantly taking pictures of him when he’s out, making him feel ‘not human’.

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He said: “It makes me feel like I’m not human. But what instantly cuts me off is that you’re having a moment with them which is so genuine and so nice and then at the end they ask for a picture.

“Like if I am eating in a restaurant now, I would prefer to have a private room because if I eat in the public room I have people filming me while I’m eating my food.

“You feel like a zoo animal. I don’t mean to complain, I have a cool job and life. But I just want to avoid that.”

The 28-year-old star added: “It creeps up on you. I’ve been working on it for eight years and I closed off from reality. Whether it’s getting rid of your phone or only looking at emails twice a day.”

The constant attention has lead to the Shape of You singer building a pub in the grounds of his house, but he recently revealed his childhood sweetheart Cherry thinks it’s ‘not healthy’ to stay in all of the time.

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Speaking to American radio personality Charlamagne on his own YouTube channel, the singer said: "I’ve got a pub, a cinema. Cherry is trying to get me to go out more.

"She thinks it’s not healthy to do this [stay in all the time]. I lost the availability to go to a supermarket and buy a loaf of bread about three years ago. People around here treat me pretty normally, but in London it’s different.

"I wake up every day with Cherry and I’m like why the f*** are you with me? You could be with whoever you wanted and you’ve chosen me.

"I’m saying all the things that I think are wrong with me and you still want to be with me and I find that amazing."

Sheeran released his latest album, No.6 Collaborations Project, this week.